Testimonies

Healings
Posted by: on 22/08/2010

On Sunday (Aug 22nd, 2010) Pastor Jewel taught on the biblical basis for healing and led the congregation to seek God for words of knowledge and prayer for healing. We already have reports of God touching people to heal them. These are signs of the Kingdom! Signs that will cause people to wounder. And we have answers to their woundering! Tell the stories people!!! Hopefully we'll have personal testimonies with details soon.

A Beautiful Story
Posted by: on 20/04/2010

Sitting in a place surrounded by the grace and glory of our beautiful Lord. Wanting to give testimony to how God's love and the very presence of His majesty reaches down to us and changes our personal world, which in turn, changes the world around us. This is what He is doing in me. All so His glory will shine. I seek God's grace to give me the words to share with you just how Jesus has caused my world to 'EXPLODE' beyond what I could ever imagine of late (ps. it's a 'good' explotion!). here are some highlights... .

I recall driving to church last sunday, crying tears of His love for me, for humanity, declaring to myself, 'if I died today, that would be okay because I would die literally feeling that freedom in Christ that is promised me. I've known this freedom in my head before and in tangible glimpses as He has touched my life in special ways at different times, but the freedom I experience in my spirit over these past weeks has been building and building and has exploded into something that is indescribably beautiful, that only He knows. With some of my experiences of late with God, I ponder the significance of what is actually happening in the spiritual realm to cause what i experience. My heart longs for the day when I am with Him, how He will show me each event and I know i'll be blown away! A moment I look forward to with tears of joy already prepared in me, waiting for that time to come, to spill down my face, as I look into His face and receive His smile. I expect my heart to explode all over again, as I fall in love with Him yet even deeper.

Anyway, back on track! : ) driving to church last sunday. This freedom that I feel, it has moved from being head knowledge into the core of who He has made me to be. I feel as if my wings, which have been bound even longer then my 38 years of life, they have been released from this bondage and have unfurled and are at this very moment in my life, stretching out. Feels so good to experience. I feel as if that first breath of life we experience as a baby when we come into the world, has happened to me. A truth has been put in my also. That which bound me before, will never again be able to capture me. I feel as though I'm walking along on a new path and the Lord is in front of me, either side of me, above and below me. He is literally being my shield and 'Way.'

And on my birthday recently, this is the first time in my life where I've wanted to put 'me' out there to say, 'it's my birthday and I want to celebrate ME! And I'd like to invite you to share it with me.' Birthdays have always been horrible, painful times where I've been reminded that I'm not worth celebrating and nobody really cares anyway. But, in my spirit this year, something was different and I soaked it up and savoured the banquet provided by the Lord for all it was worth.
I received a card from a work colleague and his wife which said, 'we are thankful for the gift of you to us and our lives, because you were born!' When I read it I cried because it was as if God Himself had reached down and written it to ME through her : ) It connected with what was already happening in me, this year wanting to celebrate ME! The friend who wrote it in the card said that she never writes stuff like that, but she was just lead to. wow! God deeply and personally came down to touch my spirit in special ways this birthday.
A year, a milestone in my life I will never forget. I've never experienced anything like it before.

And, the cry of my heart for the past couple of years especially, is for God to heal and restore the brokenness of my family (ie. my sisters and mum / and my sons). Our family is a story book of generational sins and sadness and broken lives. My mum is still alive and I have 5 sisters (my brother died when I was 23 and dad died when i was 21). Relationships within my family still today are fractured with some not talking to others etc. A few months ago I sent everyone an invitation to meet for lunch. I carried such a strong sense that God was ready to tangibly begin to do His healing / restoring work. 23 turned up and we shared 5 hours of 'family' time together. Some didn't talk with others, but, at least they were there, willing. I spent time being introduced to nieces and nephews I'd not met before and our sons all reconnected after 8 years of not seeing each other. That was one of the greatest gifts of all for me on the day, to see all these young men lined up for a photo, arms around each others' shoulders, bound together in God's love (no, they're not Christians YET). As a mum, I feel the unspoken longing within my two sons to reconnect with and belong to and embrace a sense of 'family'. They both grew up without that. Everyone who attended the lunch is now keen to do similar every few months. Wow and double wow. I give God all the glory for everything I write here today. The beginning of something beautiful I know because His heart is in it and He longs to be in each one of them.
And it will happen!!!!!! : ) yipppeeeeeee !!!!

One of my uncles was killed last Sunday in an accident. He was my age. Already I see God using the opportunity to bring about even more restoration among my family. When I separated from my first husband in 2002, my sister shut the door in my face and has refused to have anything to do with me to this day. We grew up two years apart in age, but we were so connected all our lives we were like twins. I have such a deep love for her. When she refused to any longer have me in her life, I grieved the loss of her in my life for 2 years. It was one of the hardest times I've ever been through.
Finally, I had to let go and simply say to God, 'I leave her in your hands. The day you bring her back to me Lord, I'll embrace her like she never left me.' Last night she rang me - wow - she said that our uncles' death had made her do some thinking and she thinks it's time for us to get our relationship back on track if I was willing. She said she didn't know if it would ever be like it was but she was willing to work hard at it! I couldn't stop crying and I'm crying now as i write this, because it's tangible evidence of how much God loves people and values relationship. I'm not sure what will happen but I am willing to step forward into whatever God has planned. My deepest prayer is that God will bind my family together as 'one' with the love of Christ and that we leave no-one behind. I think this is what I am tangibly beginning to see happen. I trust in Him. : ) wow.

And to be back giving ....... a go again after running scared last year. wow. I feel like the Lord has invited me to tread Holy ground as I enter in, my confidence in Him in me, to inspire others to also see a reflection of who they are in Christ and to feel their wings unfold and spread! wow. It's a beautiful season I'm in. All glory and honor to Him who sits on the throne, who is worthy to be praised and worshiped.
Other areas of my life have exploded as well, but i think you get the gist. My future is brighter then I ever imagined, beginning right now in this moment. My health and fitness is phenominal.
I'm so energized for life that I get up early and do an 8 km bush walk before starting work. wow, I'm beginning to do stuff I can't believe I'm doing. ..... is gob smacked and I am full of gratitude to a God who cares, who loves the world so much that He sent His only Son, that whoever might believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life.
Heaven here on earth, held in the reality of God's tangible love, that's what I believe I am beginning to experience in my life at present. And it's beyond beautiful.
All glory to God.
'We shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord.'

Prophetic Word
Posted by: on 11/04/2010

Hi Tony,
Thanks again for this morning. We were privileged to share in your service. After I left I had a strong sense from the Lord and when I prayed He gave me this word-
11/4/10 Grace Community Baptist Church
I felt a strong sense from God on leaving after the service where C.... had preached and we had shared about Kenya. I felt that the anointing is strong on GCBC and I asked God what He wanted to say. God said, “My presence is upon this church with strength and power - these are a people who are following my heart for the nations - they are leading forth and my presence and blessing is strong upon them. I am using churches such as these to bring about my kingdom purposes and they are a church on the brink of reaching maturity and seeing fruit for their labours. There is a strong sense of call and purpose and the presence of God is reaching into all aspects because they are aligning themselves with My kingdom purposes. They are strategic and poised for what I am going to entrust to them as they have been so faithful in being kingdom focused. This is a church of great strength as they are tapping into my ultimate purposes for the world. It will be through churches such as these that my kingdom will come, that My plan for all the world will be established.”

God Cares and Answers Prayer
Posted by: on 18/03/2010

The other day i was facing a test where in which i wanted to act out of my human nature because i felt very hurt by the injustice some people showed toward me. While i was stressing, holding onto anger and unforgiveness which i know will lead to revenge the Holy Ghost who lives in me spoke words to encourage forgiveness toward these people. As there was still some unfinished business with these people i still needed to see them again and the urge was to 'let them have it'. Conflicted in my spirit i started praying and asking Jesus for His strength and peace in my spirit. This is where the story gets a bit more interesting. I was praying this while i was on my way to the bank whilst walking through Erina Fair as i was to see them straight after the bank. I finished the prayer with 'i would love a verse or some type of encouragement to follow your path Lord Jesus as i want to remain righteous in your eyes. Amen' then out of nowhere, well actually out of a shop to merge along-side me Pastor ..... says hi. He asked how i was and went on to encourage me with a bible verse perfect for this specific occasion which left me in awe. Consequently i asked for the fruits of the spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control to come forth in my spirit to which i overcame all temptation that was in front of me. Amen!